1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to telephone equipment for technician's employ to communicate with a central maintenance office and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, it relates to an improved form of craft terminal transmitter and receiver having increased capability as to data handling and storage capabilities.
2. Prior Art
Heretofore telephone technicians have relied upon portable handsets that may be interruptively connected into a telephone line for communication with a central office. This type of communication device has evolved into what today is referred to as a butt set or lineman's test set, a standard and much used technician's tool. Newer telephone maintenance systems now function with a central maintenance computer network with which field technicians at various locations can communicate and exchange certain information relative to repair, maintenance and the testing of individual telephone subscriber lines. Technician terminals have evolved for communication in operating systems that are capable of additional communication functions of more sophisticated nature. U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,336 represents one such improved communication equipment. This unit consists of a connector coupling for connecting the set to the telephone line to communicate with a central maintenance computer, and it also includes a selectively energizable amplifier for amplifying signals occurring on the telephone line and a speaker for audibly communicating the message to the technician. This enables the technician to have hands free for transcribing dispatch and test information.
Still other improved technician communication systems expand the functional capabilities of such devices. One such device teaches an internal modem coupled with a predetermined amount of random access memory and a battery powered amplifier and loud speaker. This unit also has the capability of operating with a companion printer that may be truck mounted in the technician's vehicle. Still other devices operating at higher levels of information exchange may include some form of display screen mounted in the hand-held terminal and a limited ASCII keyboard for sending alphanumeric data. These types of devices require a truck-mounted companion printer to produce hard-copy.